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My Celebrate Recovery Testimony

My Celebrate Recovery Story.

Hi,I am a believer who has struggled with rejection and acceptance. This is my story.
I was born in 1960 and grew up in Withington, a middle-class suburb of Manchester.UK. I was born the eldest of 3 children. I had 2 younger brothers. I did not know it at the time but my family was totally dysfunctional.
My earliest recollections of my insane childhood are not happy. My mother was a compulsive gambler. My father was very quiet and wanted a quiet life. He would disappear each night at 9pm to go to the pub. I have only one memory of my dad reading to me as I sat on his knee.
My mother never held me or told me she loved me. In fact she often told me she had never wanted ME or my brothers. My grandmother also told me many times that we were not my father’s children? This caused a lot of confusion and pain.
I endured emotional and physical abuse from my mum. Beatings and verbal abuse were normal. I don’t remember my father witnessing this much as he worked.
By the time I was like 7/8yr I was cleaning house, shopping and doing all kinds of housework. I was always trying to work out what kind of mood she was in. Fear of disappointing her drove me on. Nothing I ever did was right or pleased her.

At a very young age I became a victim of incest by both of my 2 brothers. I was their object of sexual games. One of my brothers betrayed me by telling the local kids what we did. I was made to feel cheap and dirty!! I soon learned that growing up was no fun, that people you love hurt you and TRUST became a word I never used.

One of my brothers was sent away to a boy’s home. He was only young. I was told it was because my mum could not control him. This broke my heart in 2. I lived in constant fear that they would do this to me as well. They always told us “think about what the neighbours would say”. It meant I learnt that you must always wear a front so people don’t know what’s going on…everything had to be covered up.

At junior school I felt I was only liked for my funny stories and making people laugh.I learned to hide behind this facade all my life. I was rejected at school and by my local friends, I became very lonely and hurting inside myself.

By the time I was 10 my parent’s marriage was over. My mother arrived unexpectedly at school one day and announced she was taking me and leaving my father.

We arrived in Blackpool, with no money and nowhere to sleep.
We came across a room for rent in the home of a family. My mum lied her way into their home and we moved in.
My nightmare began.

That first night my mother began to sexually molest me.

The man of the house also began to sexually abuse me on a daily basis.I dreaded coming home from school. I was too afraid of him to tell.
This eventually was discovered and became a Police matter. I was now on the run with my mum from this man and his family who wanted to kill me!!

We had to be safe-housed.

We eventually fled back in Manchester 12 months later and we moved back home with my dad. However they slept in separate rooms and I knew life hadn’t changed at all.

I was desperate for love, affection and acceptance. I learnt that if a boy was allowed to have sex with you he would tell you he loved you and then would hold you, which was what I craved.
I had become addicted to love and romance. I had become promiscuous. This went on until I got married.

During my time at highschool I made friends with a girl called Sue who invited me on a weekend trip to a farm her friends had. Little did I or my parents know this was a set-up from a paedophile ring. For the second time in my life I was in a police investigation and this time it was also in a major Sunday paper.

Shame and humiliation refused to leave me now. Now what would the neighbours say? I was so angry and hurt. No one offered any support or love. I was very angry that my parents had not seen this coming.

Before I was 16 my best friend had also abused me sexually too.

I began to beat myself up inside that it must be my fault all these things were happening to me. I would try harder to please.

I had always believed in God and knew deep in my heart that He was real. Even though I had been to Sunday school I had no idea how to reach him.

I had become a very insecure, angry, emotional individual.
Instead of turning to drugs or drink, my addiction became approval from people. I had to have acceptance. I had become a co-dependant. I got my fix from being needed by others.

When I had just had my 17th birthday my mother suddenly died. She was 39.

I spent the next 7 years in a numbed mental state. I wanted so much for her to tell me she loved me. It was at this time I looked into spiritualism as my grandmother had brought us up to believe in it. This too proved to be lies.

I had got married 18 months after our son Paul had been born. I shamed my father. He had always wanted me married before I had a baby and so I felt incredibly worthless letting him down this way.

It was during this time I became a Christian

My brother (who had been sent away) suddenly committed suicide 2 weeks before the wedding and he was only 21.
9 years later my other brother was found dead by drug overdose.

Loneliness and fear of rejection were constant companions even as a Christian.
I just had to be in control and never really put total trust in Jesus Christ as my higher power.
Without realising I took all this baggage into my marriage.
For 20 years I would not believe in my heart that my husband loved me.
Early on in the marriage I had suffered physical, verbal and mental abuse. Many walls were built.

Suddenly in 1999 my father died after a short illness. I was devastated and I became angry and disappointed in God. After all, I now had NO biological family left.

The next 5 years I spent as a hypocrite.

As a Christian I had learnt to talk the right way and yet was not living the right way. I had no peace in my life; I was critical of everything and everyone and very lonely.
My life had gotten out of control.
I was also living a lie that no one but God knew about.
I had wanted to end my life and end the constant battle in my heart and mind. Suicide seemed the only way out.

I entered this program ( celebrate recovery http://www.celebraterecovery.com/ ) not knowing what to expect but I am so blessed today to be able to say how much Jesus my higher power has done in me. I have come to know him as my CLOSEST friend who has never left me in any doubt of his love.
Each step I worked through, God took me to deeper levels of my fears and pains, helped me face them and cleaned out the wounds.

I want to share this scripture with you as it has made such a difference in my life…
Isaiah 51:6 Behold, thou desires TRUTH in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shall make me to know wisdom.

Step 4 of the program helped me to identify things as they really were, to accept the reality of my life and accept responsibility for all the damage I had done. I accepted that I could not change on my own strength and so Trusting God with a new understanding I embarked on the best journey of my Christian life.

I came to understand the meaning of the following verse as I experienced my heart being set free.
Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as EAGLES; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Step 9 of the program taught me to Forgive and how to forgive myself and others.I found release from all that had kept me weighed down. God is helping me to accept and love myself and I know it has made a difference how I relate to others and more importantly to Him.

I would encourage anyone who is considering to join us at Celebrate Recovery to sign up today. It worked for me it will work for you.
I would like to take this time now to extend some Thank you’s

To God, my lord and saviour Jesus Christ for loving me more than I dared believe and giving us this program.
To my Sponsor. For the sacrifices she made on my account many times. She has shown me what true friendship is, and without her love, support and prayers I could not have done it.
Also, to Lisa who has been a continual source of encouragement and example ship of Gods mercy and grace throughout and who would not let go of me!!
To ALL in my support group who have borne with me every tear and loved me unconditionally. I love you all.

I want to say Thank you to my Pastor’s for believing in me and never giving up on me, Trini for your hand of friendship, your prayers and just knowing you were alongside of me as well as your pastoral care. I will always be grateful to you both.
Last but definitely not least, my bestest friend and confidante, my husband, who has stood by me, loved and supported me throughout, giving me every reason not to give up.

Thank you for letting me share.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS AWESOME 12 STEP CHRISTIAN RECOVERY PROGRAM, MORE INFO CAN BE FOUND CELEBRATE RECOVERY
AND ALSO HERE

Greetings to you my dear sister!…. GLORY TO GOD!!! He has rescued you from the snare of the enemy and shall continue to restore you to wholeness in Him! He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith and is faithful to complete the work He has began in your life! Praise His Holy Name that ALL THINGS work together for our good and His glory!

I have the AWESOME privilege of leading a Celebrate Recovery Step Group near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States. I was filled with great joy when I stumbled upon your website. As the Encourager Coach of our ministry I was searching for something encouraging to send out to all of our leaders. I typed in the keywords “called to serve” which is how I discovered your site. God is good! All the time!

Feel free to correspond with me as we share the same purpose and vision….. to see those whom are struggling with hurts, habits, and hang-ups to be healed and set free in Jesus’ Name!

Your testimony is amazing and so powerful and can only point to how healing our Lord can be when we truly learn to turn to him.

Yours is one of the most touching testimonies I’ve read … you have come through so much … but you are living proof of the cleansing blood of Jesus and how much worth you have and how precious you are to him…have always been to him.

You are open and willing to be used by him now to help others discover this wonderful life you have with him … to encourage them that they too are worthy (no matter what) and can have the same … you are serving our Lord well!

Thank you so much for sharing your testimony – with me and with all who come here to read! Keep sharing!!!

Praising God for your recovery! and continued life IN HIM!!!
with love, dj

Wow! Bless you, dear lady! I have a couple of verses to share with you…
2 Cor 12:9, Isaiah 33:6, John 8:32 & 36, 2 Cor 3:17
Thank you for sharing your life with others. I know you will be blessed for the encouragement you give others.

Paulette, the warmth of jesus comes over so strongly on e.mail and phone, what a testermony you have. you are trult a wonderfull example of it. and his healing powers. may I say how blessed you are to others. love and blessings …betty.b 2.

hey i really can relate to what you shared and yes when there was no hope for me i found a friend that kept asking me to join celebrate recovery and one day i did at frist it was to just shut her up and get off of my back but the funny part i have this really great sponser who spends hours of her time and her husband also works with me i thought i was a lost cause i have been in and out of hospitals and reapes half way house all kinds trying to find help and that is were i found my sponser if she hadnt done that i think i would of totaly gave up because i knew this was my last chance that i was going to give so friend dont give up i really can relate to your testomony bonita take care

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